Trains in Sri Lanka and how to use them

Trains in Sri Lanka, after buses, are the most common public transport, and they can be very convenient and useful for travelers and tourists. Moreover, it is not just a means of transportation, but also an attraction. We are talking about the Scenic route (scenic route), passing in the mountainous part of the country on the section from Kandy to Badulla, which is considered one of the most scenic railway routes in the world. When driving along it from the window of the car you will have stunning views of the mountains and jungles, which, as they say, are not found anywhere else in the world.

But traveling by train in Sri Lanka is also associated with some peculiarities and difficulties. All about how to travel and travel by train in Sri Lanka next:

What you need to know about Sri Lanka trains

All trains in Sri Lanka are slow, making many stops along the way. But in recent years, a fast train has appeared on the route from Colombo to Jaffna via Anuradhapura, making fewer stops. But, most likely, such trains will not appear on other routes, since railways pass mainly through mountains or densely populated areas.

The fare is very inexpensive, especially on slow trains of the lowest class. For example, an almost two-hour drive from Colombo to Negombo costs from 100 rupees(0.3 USD, see currency of Sri Lanka, exchange rate). At the same time, traveling on high-comfort or first-class trains along a scenic route is very expensive even by the standards of tourists.

Here are a few more important points that travelers need to know about trains in Sri Lanka:

Tickets

• Check several times: when exiting the platform, in the car and when exiting the platform at the arrival station
• Important: do not lose or discard your ticket until you leave the destination station completely

Comfort and nutrition

• Trains (especially second and third class) are often crowded
• Be prepared for the fact that you will have to stand or sit on the floor
• There is no restaurant car, but sellers carry local fast food on the cars

Landing

• Cars are sometimes not numbered, but differ only by class (indicated on the car)
• If there is no car number in your ticket, then you can get into any car corresponding to the class of your ticket

How to board a train without problems

• Check in advance with the staff on the platform the platform number and the planned location of the cars by class
• If you get up in advance in the right place of the platform, you will have more chances to take a seat
• There are often divorced assistants on the platforms who are not in uniform, who allegedly kindly "help" you find your car and a place in the car, and therefore will ask for money for help or donations

What are the trains in Sri Lanka, classes and carriages

Trains in Sri Lanka are suburban and long-distance, including night trains. There is no clear difference between these two types, and sometimes commuter trains run on the same routes as long-distance trains. The difference is manifested, perhaps, only in comfort. So, commuter trains are mostly very old with only third-class cars, while long-distance trains can be second, first and even sleeping class. But at the same time, know that buying a ticket for a long-distance train does not guarantee you a comfortable trip, because everything depends on the class of the car and the specific train running along the route.

Carriage classes in Sri Lanka

The classes of state trains are numbered from 3rd to 1st. In addition to them, there are also branded cars of increased comfort of individual trains, or trailer cars as part of state trains.

It should be understood that state classes can differ greatly in appearance and comfort depending on a particular train, even on the same route, but their main problem is that the 2nd and 3rd classes have no seats. Tickets for them are sold without taking into account the free space in the car, so you can go not just sitting, but even standing or hanging on the running board of the car. This situation, unfortunately, even on long-distance trains. For example, we (the authors of the site) have repeatedly had the experience of traveling from Colombo to Anuradhapura, from Colombo to Kandy, from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya and other popular destinations standing or sitting on the floor of the car. And this, it should be said, trips lasting 6-8 hours. Sometimes I had to go literally hanging on the handrails, the cars are so densely packed with locals. It is useless to expect to take a seat, because locals jump into the train on the move even on the approach to the station through the doors and windows.

So, these are the classes there are:

• 3rd class (3rd class). The cheapest class with hard seats without seat numbers. They are almost always crowded. Suitable for short trips no longer than 3 hours. The doors in the cars do not close during the movement. As a rule, there are no toilets in the car.
• 2nd class (2nd class). It is not much different from the third, except that it is a little cleaner and more expensive, and some trains have soft seats in this class. They can also be very crowded. Suitable for short trips no longer than 3 hours. The doors in the cars do not close during the movement.
• 2nd class reserved seat (2nd class with guaranteed seat). If you want to be guaranteed to sit, and not stand during long-distance travel, then buy only this class and above.
• 1st class observation (1st class survey). These are special carriages for tourists on the scenic route from Colombo to Badulla with large viewing windows, through which it is quite possible to enjoy the views along the route and get there comfortably, since the seats are numbered and reserved for each ticket. They are attached to the tail of some standard trains of a different class. They are very expensive, and they need to be booked in advance.
• 1st class night mail(1st class night mail). The only train that has sleeping places. It runs long-distance routes from Colombo to Badulla. It is expensive, while the cars are old.
• Branded ViceRoy II wagons. Luxury seating cars, stylized colonial style. They ply the picturesque Kandy-Ella route. They are very expensive.
• Rajadhani Branded Wagons. They don't run anymore.
• Branded Exporail Trains. They don't run anymore.

Routes and timetables

The railway network in Sri Lanka is quite developed, with the main transport center in Colombo. From the main station Colombo Fort (Colombo Fort) to the north, south and east there are several branches of the railway, which in turn are still divided. There are no direct flights between the northern, southern and eastern directions, you will have to transfer to Colombo from train to train.

Here are the most useful destinations for tourists:

• Colombo-Negombo-Maravila-Puttalam.
• Colombo-Anuradhapura-Jaffna.
• Colombo-Trincomalee.
• Colombo-Kandy-Hatton-NuvaraElia (Nanu Oya station)-Haputale-Ella-Badulla.
• Colombo-MountLavinia-Beruvela-Bentota-Ambalangoda-Hikkaduwa-Halle-Matara-Beliatta.

Map of Sri Lanka railways and main stations

Railway map of Sri Lanka in a separate window.

Where to find out the Sri Lanka train schedule

There is an up-to-date timetable at each station, but it is not always explicitly indicated. There is an electronic scoreboard at the Colmbo Fort station (the only one in the country), at other stations these are just signs. In general, the traffic schedule is stable and has not changed for years, but it may change during the holiday period and for other reasons. In this case, no one changes the large signs with the schedule, and additional information is placed on the cartons at the ticket offices, check everything carefully.

The online timetable can be checked on the official website of Sri Lanka Railways - https://eservices.railway.gov.lk/. There you need to select the departure and arrival station, and select the date. The site gives out a generally accurate and up-to-date schedule, but a couple of times we came across a situation where during the holidays, due to changes in traffic, it turned out to be not relevant. Another site with a schedule - http://slr.malindaprasad.com, but it is unofficial.

If these sites will not be open, you need to use special programs to bypass the blocking of the Russian supervisory authority, which prohibits Internet access in the Russian Federation.

How and where to buy tickets

Now train tickets can be purchased online on the official website of the railways https://seatreservation.railway.gov.lk/mtktwebslr/ or https://12go.asia. But Russian cards don't work there, and not all tickets can be bought online. Therefore, read the following detailed information about how and where you can buy tickets in other ways:

• 2nd and 3rd class tickets

  Tickets for Class 2 and 3 trains are sold directly at the ticket offices at the station an hour or less before departure. It is impossible to buy them in advance or online, and there is no point in that, since in theory tickets never run out and continue to be sold until the last minute of the train departure. For this reason, the cars of these classes are always overcrowded to the limit. The only chance not to buy a ticket for these classes is to stand in line and not have time to buy them before the time of dispatch. But from personal experience we can say that the queue moves very quickly.

  At Colombo Fort station, tickets of these classes are sold in different windows in different directions. The necessary window for the direction can be found on the electronic scoreboard with directions and by the signatures on the windows. At other stations, all directions are sold in one window or separately for 2nd and 3rd classes.

• 1st class and 2nd class tickets with reserved seats, branded cars

  These can be purchased in advance, sales open 30 days before departure. But they usually sell out quickly, so we recommend buying them as much as possible in advance.

  As well as the 2nd and 3rd class, they are sold at all stations, but separate sales windows are provided for them. For example, in Colombo, at Colombo fort Station, this is a separate entrance, designated as Window No. 17.

At Colmbo Fort station there is a building with a signboard Railway Tourist Information Service. In fact, this is not an information service, but a travel agency for reselling tickets for tourists. Tickets are sold at a mark-up, but if you did not manage to buy them on the spot at the box office No. 17 and you did not book them in advance via the Internet, then this is the only option to buy tickets for seats.

Sri Lanka train schedules available for online booking